A strange species we are. We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much, and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy, sick.
-John Steinbeck (1902-1968), Letter in The Washington Post, 28 Jan 60
John Steinbeck makes a great point by pointing a finger directly at the American society. Americans are truly blessed and have so much more than they could ever need. However, the percentage of Americans who claim to be "happy" is declining or remaining the same even though our citizens have more possessions than anyone in the past. Steinbeck proposes that in order to destroy a nation, he would give it too much and in turn, the nation would be so thirsty for more they would do anything to obtain it. Many Americans completely ignore the third world counties that are barely surviving, and continue on with their everyday lives of spending on non-necessary possessions. Maybe Americans need these possessions to be taken from them by someone else but themselves in order to see their reliance and dependence on wealth and how great the consequences they face will be.
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It does seem true that when disaster strikes, we resort to focusing on what's most important--our families, our faith, our fellow man.
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